Just a quick word to say that one of the lay meditators here,Ralf from Belgium will be ordaining this afternoon.
I wish him all the best as he starts his new life as a member of the monastic community.
Ralf once asked if being a monk made me more mindfull.
He will quickly learn about being more mindfull once he is in robes.
No buttons,no zips,no velcro.No mindfulness=no modesty.

And crawling on the planets face,some insects called the human race.
Lost in time
Lost in space
And meaning

Thank you Nanadhaja for the excellent news.
Please pass on our good wishes to Ralph!
I guess I speak for many of our members when I say, we wish him all the very best with his noble endeavours!
with Metta

Ben

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

As of 15:23 this afternoon(Malaysian time),Ralf became Ven.Dhammaratana.
Ytrog,believe me it is a whole new experience learning how to put these robes on properly.
One problem that guys have is that they are not used to wearing what is essentially a skirt.
While there is a type of belt to hold this up if you wear it slightly too low then when you start climbing stairs the front can sometimes get caught under your foot.This can start to bring it down(so speaks the voice of experience)The top robe has nothing holding it place and you really have to get the hang of how to put it together.One robe makes three different types of robe.
I recall reading Phra Farang and he spoke of the first time he went to(I think)morning chanting.
When he got up from chanting his lower robe remained on the floor.He said that as casually as he could he picked up the robe and with as much dignity as he could find under the circumstances and made his way back to his room.

And crawling on the planets face,some insects called the human race.
Lost in time
Lost in space
And meaning

Nanadhaja wrote:As of 15:23 this afternoon(Malaysian time),Ralf became Ven.Dhammaratana.
Ytrog,believe me it is a whole new experience learning how to put these robes on properly.
One problem that guys have is that they are not used to wearing what is essentially a skirt.
While there is a type of belt to hold this up if you wear it slightly too low then when you start climbing stairs the front can sometimes get caught under your foot.This can start to bring it down(so speaks the voice of experience)The top robe has nothing holding it place and you really have to get the hang of how to put it together.One robe makes three different types of robe.
I recall reading Phra Farang and he spoke of the first time he went to(I think)morning chanting.
When he got up from chanting his lower robe remained on the floor.He said that as casually as he could he picked up the robe and with as much dignity as he could find under the circumstances and made his way back to his room.

Bhante Nanadhaja, I didn't notice you're a bhikku until you mentioned it here.

Isn't the robe only made of rectangular pieces of cloth?

What do the name Dhammaratana and Nanadhaja mean exactly if I may ask?

Suffering is asking from life what it can never give you.

mindfulness, bliss and beyond (page 8) wrote:Do not linger on the past. Do not keep carrying around coffins full of dead moments

If you see any unskillful speech (or other action) from me let me know, so I can learn from it.

My recently moved Blog, containing some of my writings on the Buddha Dhamma, as well as a number of translations from classical Buddhist texts and modern authors, liturgy, etc.: Huifeng's Prajnacara Blog.

Hi Pilgrim.
Yes we have both taken full ordination as bhikus.
There are a few places around Malaysia that ordain foreigners.There are 4 of us here at the moment.The only problem is the visa issue.They can be a little reluctant to give us the full 90 day visa when it is time to renew.The have been known to give as little as 30 days and then we have to leave again for 1-2 weeks.It is up to the immigration officers discretion and being in robes does not have the same effect as some neighbouring countries.Still it is nice to be able to come here and ordain and although soon I will leave Malaysia and head up to Thailand,this country will always have a special place in my heart.

And crawling on the planets face,some insects called the human race.
Lost in time
Lost in space
And meaning

Ytrog wrote:I saw that you ordained on 10 September this year, so you are still quite new to the robes. Did you and Ven.Dhammaratana spent some time as a samanera prior to this?

To be perfectly honest,I was a samanera for about 1 hour.
At 14:00p.m I took my samanera vows in the meditation hall and at 15:00 I went to the sima and took full ordination.
This is not as unusual as it may seem.I know that there are many places where you would be expected to spend time as an anagarika,then a samenera before taking your Bhikku vows.I believe Wat Pa Nanacahat still does this,amonst others.However there are many places in Thailand that will ordain you in a day.I guess, but can not say for sure that Sri Lanka may be quite strict on the proceedures for ordination but will have to leave that up to any one who has ordained there to clarify.
With metta.

And crawling on the planets face,some insects called the human race.
Lost in time
Lost in space
And meaning

I have been coming to my temple for two years now, teaching guests of the MonkforaMonth project.
I ordained as novice on 9th May this year, then Full ordination on 21st. july.
We try to have our guests go into white as 8 precepts for a few days before they ordain as novices.
Usually in Thailand they do not do full ordination during the Pansa (Vassa).

I was on 8 precepts for 6 days here,however I have spent a lot of time on retreats so that came as no surprise.I always took at least 5 precepts when I was working,sometimes 8,but have to admit not eaing after midday when you are doing manuel labour is not easy.
I did not know about Thailand not doing ordination over vassa.Is there a reason behind this?
With metta

And crawling on the planets face,some insects called the human race.
Lost in time
Lost in space
And meaning